Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites have made it possible for everyone to know about an amazing deal in your neck of the woods or your area of interest.

A number of US social media merchants have sprung up where merchants can entice new customers to try a new product, get an amazing deal on a close-out item or to be one of the first to trial a brand-new service.

The biggest and best-known are Groupon (which pays you $10 if you refer friends), LivingSocial, BuyWithMe and NimbleBuy.

You simply sign up with one or more of them to get daily emailed deals for your city (or for national and/or online-only deals).

Is there a catch? Natch. To make it worth the merchants’ while, they require a minimum number of customers to ”buy in” to the deal. So if you’re keen say to pick up a luxurious massage in Miami or a baby hamper in Baltimore for a ridiculously reduced price, you’ll need a number of others in your area wanting that same thing.

Which is where social media comes in. You Twitter it and/or facebook it like crazy to your mates and get them to pass the word on so you can all benefit from the low, low prices.

This could be great if you’re seeking some bargains on upcoming gifts for an anniversary, birthday, christening, engagement, Mothers’s Day, new baby or wedding gift.

If you’re one of the 19% of consumers who received a dud Christmas present (and you’ve managed to get hold of the receipt), you’d better get cracking if you want to return them for a refund!

While some stores will allow refunds up to a year later, many will refund goods brought in their original packaging (hmmm - how often does that happen!?) and tags up to the end of January.

Other stores won’t give you a refund at all but merely an exchange or credit for something else in their store. According to the US National Retail Federation, American retailers took back an estimated $17 billion of unwanted gifts. What’s more, 17% of retailers have tightened their return policies.

If you can’t get cash and you really don’t like the item nor feel you could regift it to another, think carefully how you could use the credit note to “purchase” another gift which will save you spending your own money. You could always select one of the items there for Valentines Day, your anniversary, birthday, Mothers Day or even for Christmas 2010.

OK, well I guess this appeals to the nerd in me but I love a list!

Considering we’re just two weeks into 2010, and it’s oh, 49 weeks to Christmas, now is a great time to set up a gift fact file on your friends and family. You can use it for anniversaries, birthdays, Valentines, graduations, housewarmings, weddings too.

So what are some of the things you should take note of, ask or discuss so you give them someone perfect (or close to it)?

1. Favourite colours. My younger nephew loves red, the older one goes for green while my niece is a sucker for pink. Makes it easy knowing this when it comes to cute t-shirts etc. Same goes for adults. My brother thinks pink and purple (not worn together) are completely gay. My stepmother won’t wear anything with a floral print, thinking she looks like a sofa. Dad is mad on chocolate brown and navy. Easy. Make a note of what colours they love to wear (and particularly the ones they look good in ie don’t forget it is your chance to help them wear something that suits them and stops hurting your eyes). Hint: it can be an insight into their favourite decorating colours, too.

2. Favourite metals. No, I’m not talking about Black Sabbath! If you’re giving jewellery, think back to whether you’ve ever seen them wear silver. Do they prefer yellow gold to rose gold? In home decor, are they a silver-frame kinda girl or do they go for brushed steel? It’s not just the metal, it’s the way it is finished that can make all the difference between a dud and a great gift.

3. Favourite decor. If your little niece’s bedroom is pink gingham, her mother is not going to appreciate something batik. Do they like French provincial? Then they won’t appreciate anything that belongs in an architect’s office. If they mention they’re buying new furniture, ask a bit more. Have their tastes changed? Are they buying more of the same style? A white mohair throw won’t suit people with kids. A gift certificate for more storage accessories (Howards Storage World is great) will suit almost anyone.

4. Size. Kids under 15 years old change rapidly. If you’re buying clothing or shoe sizes, ask within 2 weeks of buying and giving it to them. You never know when they’re going to have one of those crazy growth spurts. If you’re planning on giving your girlfriend or best friend lingerie, if you live together check the sizing on her underwear on washing day. Some brands, like Country Road and Sportscraft, are known for vanity sizing so if she’s really a 14, she’ll be delighted to fit into their 12. Sneakers tend to be one half-size bigger. I’m normally an 8 1/2 but need a 9 for trainers.

5. Fragrance. Mum has no sense of smell so I get all her perfume gifts. Jo is allergic to anything not made with essential oils. Kirsten doesn’t wear it. Next time they smell particularly good, ask them what they’re wearing. You could always give them the soap or moisturiser that goes with that fragrance. Know they like spicy style perfumes but still afraid to guess? You could always give them berry-scented candles or pot pourri.

6. Flowers. My stepmother loves violets. My sister-in-law is partial to camellias. I love oriental lillies. My grandfather however associates lillies with death and can’t bear them. In fact the only flowers he has in the house are silk ones which are getting awfully dusty. Check if they have allergies!

7. Foods. A homemade dish can be ideal if you know what they love to eat. My sister is vegetarian. David swears he won’t eat quiche. Audra prefers savoury snacks and strong coffee while Kate has a real sweet tooth and prefers herbal tea. Caz hates pate while our pregnant neighbour can’t eat brie right now and Jo is allergic to peanuts. If your best friend only likes green M&Ms for example, they sell packets of M&Ms in red and green colours at Christmas. Pick out the red ones, wrap the rest in a cellophane bag and there you have a very sweet (literally!) gift.

8. Music. Are they into their iPod or do they prefer vinyl? Are they fans of one era or do they have wider musical tastes? An iTunes card might suit some people while others would prefer the CD soundtrack of that really cool movie you saw together.

9. Hobbies. Do they like outdoorsy, camping type weekends? Do they potter around market stalls looking for antique objets d’art they can pick up for a song? What about gardening? Or doll collecting? What hobby would they do if they had more time? How do they like to see themselves (everyone has a fantasy version).

10. Books. The first clue is: if they picked up the newpaper on the weekend - what section would they flip to first? The business section? They might prefer the latest book on wealth creation or on creating your own business. Hollywood gossip? Juicy, unauthorised biographies could be the ticket. Those who flip to the home & garden part could appreciate a beautiful coffee table book on New York/Paris/Tuscan/Thai/Scandinavian living etc. Do they read their stars religiously? What about giving them an astrology report for Valentine’s Day? If they just like reading the news, what about the latest Guinness Book of Records or a Life picture book.  The travel section? Indulge them with an Eyewitness Guide or a Lonely Planet on their favourite city/country/continent.

People love receiving personalised gifts as it makes them feel special and cherished.

But unless you have a rough idea of what the item’s going to look like, you can worry that you’ve got the spelling right, ticked the right colour or even the correct size.

There are quite a few websites now which provide real-time personalisation so that you can see a mock-up of what your completed gift would look like. Here’s some of my favourites:

American Medical ID - great for family members who may have a serious condition, you can “engrave” in real-time a necklace or bracelet from 14kt, 10kt, sterling silver or stainless steel, and it has engraving samples and tips so you know what to add. If your mum or grandmother is a Cancer, this might stop them worrying.

Just for fun, create a magazine cover with their photo, the theme (ie wedding, anniversary, new baby) and magazine-style headlines ie “6 Things You Never Knew About Samantha and John” or whatever. Perfect for Aries and Leos.

If you really know their favourite colours for their lips, eyes, nails and blush, you can custom-blend cosmetics for them, even including the colour intensity and exras like shimmering glitter for nail polish. Even better, you can send in your old, discontinued favourite lipstick or nail polish etc and get them to colour-match it for you! A lovely gift idea for Taureans and Librans.

One of the most imaginative customised gift websites I’ve ever seen is Shapeways which lets you create 3D printing of your designs. You could have the words of a favourite poem, for example, laser-cut into a candle-holder or into cool napkin rings which would have to be one of the most amazing Valentines Day, anniversary or wedding gifts ever!

Hardcover photo books are not really that new now but Pixable lets you select your photos from Facebook, Flickr or your computer, upload AND receive them within 3 days! Great for Geminis.

For the aviation buff who has nearly everything, you can order a customised airline cart (yes, the trolleys that the hosties roll down the aircraft aisle) from Alcarts in one of 10 colours. Ideal for those with their own plane(!), this storage item is also an original conversation piece as you serve food and beverages in your office, garage, patio, shop or kitchen. I can see this appealing to Aquarians and Sagittarians!

Everyone loves their own name! A cute gift for a new baby or perhaps a housewarming gift is letter art photography by Alphabet Photography. Each “letter” is a photo of an everyday object (such as a door handle) that resembles the letter of the alphabet. A sweet gift for a Pisces as is this one from GrowShow which lets you upload photos in chronological order so you can see the development of your child over time. It also has interlocking photo frames so you can add to them as your child gets older.

Love to theme a party all the way through? Now you can personalise your disposable party plates with photos, text and colour for anniversaries, birthdays, Halloween, with a fun service from Hallmark. I see this being particularly popular for children’s parties!

Candles are always popular with women and now you can customise them with Lumnique, packaged in a nice rectangular glass jar. Select the intention ie peace, love etc, the colour and from 72 fragrances, ranging from the traditional, such as rose, to the frankly unusual, such as Hansel and Gretel (which I’m guessing must smell like gingerbread)!

If you’re looking for a gift with a difference for your favourite health freak, look no further. Now you can customise your own energy bars (chewy, oaty, cripsy), add fruits, nuts and sweets (ranging from chocolate chips to maple syrup), and even fibre or other nutrients, all the while seeing the nutritional panel adjust in real time for sugar, fat, carbohydrate etc. And to cap it off, you can even have your name on the packaging - how cool is that?! I’m going to order some from Element Bars for my Virgo sister!

Most people are familiar with the Successories framed prints in gift shops full of inspirational photos and sayings. Now you can customise your own, using their gallery of images but adding your own message. I think a subversive-style message (ie a straight picture and a sarcastic message) could really amuse a Scorpio, and maybe some Capricorns…

I love the mobile phone covers by GelaSkins - they’re amazing! From manga cartoons to Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, you’re sure to find something amazing here. Most importantly, you can upload your own photos, message and designs to cover covers for your mobile, iPod, laptop, gaming device or Kindle which would impress even the hardest-to-please teen.

If you find clothes hard to fit and you’re forever getting items altered, you might like to check out the customised outfits at April Marin. They make a small range of pretty, tailor-made dresses, allowing you to customise the lengths and widths of everything important!

Does your favourite friend or family member post particularly witty bon mots on Twitter? Did you know that Tweetbookz now lets you create high-quality books containing Tweets from any Twitter account? It might be a lovely gift for a small business owner! 

And last, but certainly not least, I was entranced by Princess Chic which enables you to build your own pair of shoes! From classic stilettos and platform pumps to ballet flats and high-heeled sandals, you can select your material from leather, satin, suede, snake, croc or fish skins, from 17 colours and sizes from 5-11.

Happy New Year!

The start of the new year (and decade) is an excellent time to plan all your gift-giving for 2010. You may remember from an earlier post how the average person gives 16 gifts per year?

So I thought I’d shock myself and work out how many I have to give this year starting on New Year’s Day. Easiest way to do it is month-by-month.

January - my niece’s birthday, my friend Caz’s birthday and my grandfather’s 96th birthday (AND the January sales great for picking up a gift or three)

February - Dad’s birthday, Sarah, Mel and Simone’s birthdays, my other niece’s birthday and Valentines Day

March - a gift-giving reprieve!

April - Aaron’s birthday, sister-in-law’s birthday

May - Mothers Day

June - my birthday, and there are plenty of end-of-financial year sales to stock up on bargains

July - Mum’s birthday, brother’s birthday, nephew’s birthday, Julia’s birthday

August - sister’s birthday

September - nephew’s birthday, Father’s Day

October - stepmother’s birthday, Clara’s birthday

November - Kate and Audra’s birthdays

December - Christmas gifts! Plenty of sales on then.

So without including Christmas gifts, that’s already 23 birthday, Valentine, Mothers Day and Fathers Day gifts. If you go through your calendar and make a list, I guarantee you’re going to be surprised how many gifts you have to budget for. With just one Christmas gift each for my immediate family for Christmas 2010, that’s already 33 gifts (double my modest guesstimate of how many gifts the average gift-giver gives) - and that it doesn’t include the last-minute goodies you have to bring (whether chocolate, wine, flowers or whatever) for someone’s birthday that is not on your list.

At an average cost of say $50, that’s already $1,650 worth of gifts. If I created a gift-giving budget, that would mean I would need to set aside about $137.50 each month to cover gifts (or less if I can find a bargain).

How much will you spend on gifts in 2010?

Even if I say so myself, most of my family think of me as a pretty good gift-giver - but I still don’t get it right all the time even now, so I’ll be heading back to the store for a refund like everyone else.

Here are some typical gift-giving mistakes which I and others can make all too easily.

1. They’ve already got it. I gave my mother a softcover version of Paul Bangay’s garden design book, The Balanced Garden for Christmas.  Ordinarily she would be thrilled, but I gave her the same book for Mother’s Day in hardcover. I have no idea how I forgot that but I think a gift-giving diary is in order (for me).

2. They’ve had enough of it. Years ago I made the mistake of giving my sister matching bra and knicker sets for two birthdays running. She must have been sick of them because she topped that by giving me a book of Leunig cartoons for three Christmases in a row (and I prefer The Far Side).

3. It’s the wrong size (too big). Mum gave me a fun costume ring from Diva but since my fingers are somewhat smaller than Mike Tyson’s, it’s not gonna fit unless I secure it with duct tape.

4. It’s the wrong size (too small). Boyfriends are especially guilty of this. One skirt I received for a Christmas gift was a size 8, which I haven’t been since I was about eight.

5. It’s supposedly the wrong size. Since my very health-conscious grandmother passed away last year, my 95-year-old grandfather has been indulging in bacon and eggs for breakfast EVERY DAY for oh, the last 16 months. Needless to say, he’s gone up a few clothing sizes. I gave him a pair of smart Sportscraft tailored men’s shorts in navy (size 112cm - their biggest, which Mum advised was his new trouser size - he used to be 97cm). He took one look at them and scoffed, “They’re fat men’s shorts - I wouldn’t fit those.”

6. Their tastes change. This is particularly dangerous with children, pre-teens, teenagers and twentysomethings. However, you can safely assume that everyone’s favourite cash colour is green.

It’s In The Stars turns 3 years old this month so help us celebrate our birthday festival until 19 December!

You’ll save $19 on BabyStars reports which are ideal if you, your sister, best friend or daughter is having a baby or a christening soon - or if you’re seeking a beautiful keepsake gift for Christmas!
 
A BabyStars report is a fascinating look at any little one aged from 0-12 years, using just their name, birthdate, time and location, providing easy-to-understand astrology insights. It’s perfect for picking up and reading in sections at a time and you’ll be astonished at how incredibly accurate it is!
 
Printed on high quality 100gsm premium paper, BabyStars reports make the ideal keepsake for christenings, naming ceremonies or as a fun primer for any new or experienced parent.

And you’ll save $19 off your LoveStars report - which is the ideal personalised gift whether you’re in a new relationship, recently become engaged or you’ve been happily married for ages - for anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, engagements, Valentines Day and weddings.
 
You can curl up together to read the fun, fascinating and incredibly accurate insights about each other and your relationship and smiling, “Yes, you DO do that!”. All you need are your names, birthdates, times and locations.
 
Printed on luxurious-feeling 100gsm premium paper, your LoveStars report will be one of the most-read books in your home!
 
Hurry! Our 3rd birthday promotion ends Saturday 19 December!

Pre-Christmas overseas delivery order deadline: Wednesday 16 December
Pre-Christmas Australian delivery order deadline: Monday 21 December
 
BabyStars Birthtime Known (45-50 pages) - reduced from $99 to $80
BabyStars Birthtime Not Known (30-35 pages) - reduced from $89 to $70
LoveStars Birthtime Known (30-35 pages) - reduced from $89 to $70
LoveStars Birthtime Not Known (15-20 pages) - reduced from $79 to $60
 
I look forward to delighting you with your own report very soon!

Cyber Monday is the five-year-old phenomenon attributed to online retailers who feature amazing sales on the Monday following Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving (always on a Thursday) is the curiously-named Black Friday which is the Day From Hell at bricks-and-mortar stores and malls when shoppers beat each other to death over a pair of shoes on sale (I’m joking…just).

Cyber Monday (this year on 30 November) avoids the hysterics, allowing you to shop online at home (or at work when your boss’s back is turned). There is even an official Cyber Monday website for shoppers where you can make enormous savings on their Christmas gift purchases.

However, on 30 November, Mercury in Sagittarius is squaring Uranus in Pisces. Mercury rules communication, Uranus (electronics), Sagittarius (travel and publishing) and Pisces (glamour and escapism). Mercury is a trickster at the best of times and Uranus is renowned for shocking and upsetting people.

People shopping online for electronics (ranging from mobile phones , iPhones and printers through to massive plasma TVs) could purchase a too-good-to-be-true deal on Cyber Monday. The product may have to be returned for repairs, it may fail to do what it’s supposed to do or it just doesn’t work with your existing electronic items (ie they’re now obsolete).

Others may receive an email promotion which has - disappointingly - already ended by the time they get to checkout or that the products are already out of stock. Yet more may be alarmed to find that their computer goes down which prevents them from shopping. And other people may be shocked to discover a bill they weren’t expecting has emptied their bank and/or credit card accounts, thus making it impossible for them to shop online.

If you shop on Cyber Monday, make sure the store has secure-socket layer (SSL) technology, a phone number you can actually call to speak to someone (not those websites with only email fields in the Contact Us section), and a money-back guarantee.

Aside from making and baking your own Christmas gifts, how can you save money on gifts during the festive season?

1. Kris Kringle
Not everyone likes them, but if your family nominates that each person receives one present only, you could save yourself hundreds. But if you’re only going to receive ONE present, make sure you insist that the best gift-selector in your family does the choosing (armed with others’ money)!

2. Send lightweight presents
I don’t mean silly gifts, but in their actual weight. If your friends and family live dotted around the country, save money on postage (which will soon add up) by sending them some type of clothing, or costume jewellery or small techie things that weigh next to nothing. Books are notorious for weighing a ton so this is not the time to mail them War and Peace!

3. One really good hamper = 4+ gifts sorted
Instead of racking your brains and emptying your wallet buying your mum, dad, brother and sister a gift each (especially if you live intrastate, interstate or overseas), send one whole food hamper packed with chocolate, salted snacks, biscuits, pate etc. You should be able to get something for under $100 - which is cheaper than 4 or more presents.

4. One address = one sheet of wrapping paper
Wrapping paper (if you’re not buying in bulk) not only adds up in cost (usually $4.95 per sheet) but adds to the cost of your postage.  Wrap everyone’s presents in one sheet of paper with little tags to make sure Uncle Harry doesn’t think your teenaged sister’s belly ring is for him.

5. Got friends and family with kids - give ‘em a break
Make it easier for them to have a date night - give them a book of vouchers to the local cinema chain, or a restaurant gift certificate - all for about $50

6. Hunt for gifts-with-purchases
Google websites that offer goodies with your purchase. If you select wisely, that “gift” of say, a make-up bag can become a stand-by Christmas gift say, for an unexpected guest, or put away for an upcoming birthday.

7. Barter
IF you run your own business (and better yet if it’s some kind of item that could be given as a gift), you may be able to barter your goods and services for gift cards or other goods and services to the same value - it’s worth asking your suppliers!

8. Look in shops you may not normally associate with Christmas gifts
What about:
* your local office supplier for beautiful stationery for your aunt who still handwrites everything
* the food warehouse for trays of packaged chocolates that you can give as simple host/hostess gifts
* the hardware outlet may be having a sale on cute directors’ chairs, welcome mats or lattice screens for your friends who are doing up their garden
* the post office for fun little books for your young cousins
* the locksmith for fun keyrings with Disney, Pixar etc cartoons that you can give your under-10s who want to feel “grown-up”.

A survey in Israel of 500 consumers found 60% intend to pay for Christmas gifts using their credit cards, 22% will pay with cash (clever clogs!), 7% will use gift certificates, 3% cheques and the remaining 11% will use a combination of these.

Of the 60% who’ll use credit cards, a survey in Australia found that only 50.5% will pay off their credit card debt in full with just over 10% unable to pay more than the minimum repayments.

At the 2001 Census, there were 7.4 million households in Australia. Let’s round it up to 7.5 million (I’m sure there’s more). If we base Christmas spending intentions on the Israeli study, 60% will be buying Christmas gifts on their credit cards, which is 4.5 million households. Of these, 10% won’t be able to pay more than the minimum repayments per month.

Eeeeek! That’s 450,000 households giving Christmas gifts they honestly cannot afford. The average credit card balance in July 2009 was $3,100. Doesn’t sound much, does it?

Many might pay some of that balance off just so they can have some room to spend it back up again on gifts.

This simple credit card calculator (ignore the pounds and pretend it’s dollars if you’re not in the UK) works out horribly quickly how much time it would take to pay it off. Enter your APR (annual percentage rate - mine is 17.49% which shows I have to hunt around for a better credit card), the minimum monthly payment as a percentage of the balance (mine is 1.5%), ignore the “Payment protection rate” field and hit calculate.

Try it - you will be honestly shellshocked how much extra you’re paying when you use credit and don’t pay it off in full.